Usage of the Internet for distribution of video is increasing in popularity. Video traffic over the Internet may be broadly classified into three categories: (1) live video streaming; (2) video on demand; and (3) video conferencing. In live video streaming, the video is broadcasted live over the Internet which is watched by participants at approximately the same time. In “video on demand,” users can select and watch a video at a particular time and can even forward and rewind the video to an arbitrary offset. In video conferencing, users located at two or more locations are allowed to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously.
Each of these services places stringent demands on the content providers, Internet service providers and wireless network providers to service such needs. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for these providers to deliver high quality video content due to their limited network resources.